Question: What is the punishment for being a false prophet?

Answer: The portion regarding the false prophet is found in “Re’eh” (Deut. 13:2-6). In verse 6 the Torah explicitly states that the false prophet shall be put to death (“yu’math”). However, it does not specify the type of capital punishment. In the Babylonian Talmud (Trac. Sanhedrin) the Sages explain that the punishment is death by stoning. Using the traditional rules of Torah interpretation, they derive this from the next paragraph which describes what must be done with one who entices others to stray after idolatry. The verse there describes the punishment as derived from the guilty party’s efforts to “make you stray.” This is exactly the same language used to describe the false prophet’s sin. Since the punishment for the enticer is explicitly stated as stoning, the same punishment applies to the false prophet. I hope you found this answer clear and helpful.

Sincerely,
R’ Daniel Fleksher